Vehicle-tire.



PATBNTBD 0GT.18, 1904.

N O.772,6s6. K f J. A. SWINBHART.

vVEHICLE TIRE.

APPLICATION .FILED MAY 13, 1904.

N0' MODEL.

' /NV NTO/2.

A T/OR/V. Y

` UNITED f STATES` Patented October 18, 1904.

l JAMES A. SWINEHART, OF AKRON, OHIO.

vEHloLE-TIRE.

SPECIEICATIONV forming part of 'Letters Patent No. "772,636, datedOctober 18, 1904.

I Application iled May 13, 1904. Serial No. 207,802. (No model.)

To all whom t may con/cern:

Beit known that I, J AMES A. SWINEHART, a citizen of the United States,residing at Akron, in the county of Summit and State of Ohio, haveinvented certain new and Vuseful` Improvements in Vehicle-Tires; and Ido de; clare that the following is a full, clear, and exact descriptionof the invention, which will i enable others skilled in the art to whichit appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in solid rubber tires forvehicle-Wheels; and the improvement consists in the construction of atire, substantially as hereinafter shown and described, and moreparticularly pointed out in the claims.

The development of the automobile and the increasing use of suchvehicles has demonstrated the necessity of improvement in theirwheel-tires. Primarily it is essential that a tire have a high degree ofcushioning character to minimize the shock and jolt to the vehicle; butlong life and durability and good traction qualities are other vitallfeatures to be considered, and a practical tire must have all ofthesefSafety to the occupants of a vehicle demands that a tire benon-collapsible or wherein the diameter of the wheel as a whole cannotbe suddenly reduced when the machine is under motion, and this is anadvantageous feature in favor of a solid rubber tire. A solid rubbertire wears well and stands up for a long period of time under theheaviest of loads and when driven at high speeds and makes thesafest andmost practical tire, providing thaty a high degree of cushioningcharacter and awide traction-surface is also present. My aim has been toprovide a construction of tire wherein all the desired features arefully developed to bring out the advantages of each to the highestdegree. y

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a full-sized cross-section andperspective view of a portion of my improved tire;v and Fig. 2 is adiagrammatic view, in full and dotted lines, illustrating the extremediffererences in load-carrying conditions.

1 its .base or Y. inner circumference. Aand side ribs 2 are preferablycovered with l A represents a solid tire which is preferably umade of ahigh grade of gutta-percha Aandin the form shown is designed to be usedwith avehicle-rim B, commonly known as a inturnededges to lit into acircumferential groove 3, 'formed in each side of tire A near The base anon-stretchable fabric 8 to prevent creep- "ing and spreading of thetire at its base. The

tread of tire A is convex or bulging, with rounded beads or ribs 6 and7, which run around the full circumference of the tire, and the centralrib 6 is preferably enlarged over the others and is designed to take thefirst thrust and blow against the tire in its travel on the roadway andin a measure to overcome the first resistance and shock of smallobstructing objects or bodies without affecting the main body of thetire. central rib flattens out immediately below the axis of the wheeland is lost more or'less at this point under the weight carried, butfinds itself front and rear at the .normal diameter -of the tread. Theconvexity of the tread under clincher tire-rim, and which is made withThis l lines fromZto Z, Fig. 2, and rib or bead 6 is forced inward andtends to spread the tire between its sides. The elasticity or resiliencyof the tire depends greatly upon its height and width, and thenarrowerthe tire from side to side the better the results; but in thisconnection the tread must also be considered, as this should be of goodtraction width. To this end tire A has concave sides i to give the tireless body at its center, and thereby increase the cushioning eect whilethe tread is enlarged, and becomes even more so under load because ofits convexform and bead 6, which extra stock forces out the sides,especially between points 5 5, Fig. 2, and in a measure also spreads thesides 4, and as illus- .trated at w Fig. 2.

This construction provides a thoroughly practical tire wherein thecombined advantages are all in perfect accord to produce a lively andelastic tire with a wide tractionsurface, and which tire is especiallyadapted for long life and hard service under heavy loads.

What I claim is- 1. A tire for wheels comprising an elastic body solidthroughout with concave sides and narrowed central portion and a convextreadsurface with an enlarged rib centrally about the circumference ofthe tread.

2. A tire of rubber constructed with a widened base and a widened treadand asolid central portion of narrower cross-section than said base andtread, said tread being convex in Jform and provided with ribs ofvarying sizes running eircumferentially around the tire.

3. A tire for vehicle-wheels constructed with a widened base and awidened tread with a solid connecting portion of less width than saidbase and tread, a groove in the sides o1 the base of said tire and anenlarged rib ruuning circumferentially about the center of the tread.

In testimony whereof 1 sign this speciiication in the presence of twowitnesses.

JAMES A. SW 1N EHART.

Witnesses:

R. B. MosER, C. A. SELL.

